I’ve been
taking medications for about 14 years now and in that time I have experienced
everything from fainting in the middle of the kitchen at work, to becoming
psychotic and tachycardic thanks to psychiatric medication.

And
really, when you compare dry mouth to those other side effects, it doesn’t even
compare. In fact, it’s such a minor side effect that I haven’t even considered
it important enough to mention to doctors in years.

But as I
painfully found out a few years ago, dry mouth can cause major problems.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth
is technically called xerostomia. It is a condition mostly recognized, not
surprisingly, by dentists. Unfortunately most of us wouldn’t think of reporting
a psychiatric medication side effect to a dentist. (Although I’ve learned you
should. It’s important all your doctors, including dentists, know about your
medication history.)

And dry
mouth can cause:

difficulties in tasting, chewing,
swallowing, and speaking

an increase in your chance of
developing dental decay and other infections in the mouth

Did you
catch that? Tooth decay. Sometimes known as cavities.

After
years of taking medication and being a naughty girl and not visiting a dentist
(like many people) I discovered the likelihood of cavities after I found out I
had eight of them. It cost thousands of dollars to deal with the problems that
had developed in my mouth.

Don’t be
like me. Avoid the needles and the fillings with these tips.

What Can Be Done About Dry Mouth?

You can,
of course, always work with your doctor to adjust your medication based on this
side effect. I wouldn’t generally recommend this if the medication is working
well for you in other respects.

Not
surprisingly, if you’re at higher risk for tooth decay it goes without saying
that you should make visiting your dentist a high priority and see them every
six months as recommended. But there are other things you can do at home as
well that can help your dry mouth.

To handle
dry mouth:

sip water consistently throughout
the day

avoid caffeinated beverages as
caffeine can dry out the mouth

don’t smoke or drink—these make
the problem worse

suck on sugar-free (important)
candies or chew sugar-free gum

use fluoride mouthwashes (look for
“cavity-fighting” mouthwash—normal mouthwash can actually make the problem
worse)

use dry mouth products—available
in sprays and lozenges over the counter

use high-fluoride toothpastes
(available via prescription or in the drug store)

Keep in
mind that dry mouth can be a symptom of something else so you should always
tell your doctor about it.

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